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Woman shot and killed by officer during assault call in south Minneapolis

MINNEAPOLIS -- A Minneapolis police officer fatally shot a woman late Saturday after responding to a 911 call.

The shooting happened about 11:30 p.m. Saturday in the 5100 block of Washburn Avenue South, according to the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, which is investigating the incident.

According to the BCA, two Minneapolis police officers were responding to an assault report at the time. One of the officers shot and killed the woman. No further details about the circumstances were released Sunday morning.

In a recorded interview posted to the Facebook page of Women’s March Minnesota, a man who was identified as the son of the woman’s fiance described her as his “best friend” and “a passionate woman.” He said she had called police for help after hearing a noise.

“My mom is dead because a police officer shot her for reasons I don’t know,” Zach Damond said. “These cops need to get trained differently. I just know she heard a sound in the alley, so then she called the police, and the cops showed up. … Next thing I know, they take my best friend’s life.”

The woman’s name was not released Sunday morning pending notification of family. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office will conduct an autopsy.

“The BCA’s investigation is in its very early stages,” the agency said in a statement Sunday. “More information will be available once initial interviews with incident participants and any witnesses are complete. That work is underway, but will not be complete today.”

At a news conference Sunday afternoon, Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges called on the BCA to share the details of the shooting as quickly as possible.

“We have few facts at this point,” she said. “This is an awful situation. My heart goes out to everyone in the community, especially the family of the woman that was shot.”

Investigators are seeking video of the incident. The officers’ body cameras were not turned on during the shooting, and the squad-car camera did not capture it, according to the BCA.

BCA will turn over its findings to the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office for review.

“I have a lot of questions about why the body cameras weren’t on,” Hodges said at the news conference.

A rally to demand more information about the woman’s death was scheduled for 6 p.m. Sunday near the site of the shooting, organized through the Women’s March Minnesota Facebook page.